What tenants and landlords should know before applying to LA County’s new rent relief program

Starting next week, Los Angeles County will begin taking applications from people seeking a portion of $23 million in funds for rent and mortgage relief.

The program is designed to help landlords and homeowners catch up on missed housing payments and other expenses after living through January’s fires or recent federal immigration enforcement.

The application period opens Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

Stephanie Chandler, directing attorney of eviction prevention at the L.A.-based Housing Rights Center, said the purpose of the program is “to keep people housed and help mitigate some of the unfortunate impacts that folks have had over this past year from many different fronts.”

Receiving help depends on whether you meet specific eligibility criteria and can provide certain documents. The rules can be confusing to navigate, so LAist has put together this guide to answer the questions most likely to come up.

Will I be eligible? 

The program is meant to serve two primary groups:

• Landlords whose tenants have unpaid rent because of the Eaton and Palisades fires or recent ICE raids. 
• Homeowners who were displaced after fires destroyed or severely damaged their homes and who now have unpaid mortgages or unpaid rent in their new housing. 

If you’re a renter, you cannot apply on your own. The application must come from your landlord.

Tenants are allowed to fill out an interest form. They can’t submit a final application, but they can input their landlord’s contact information on the interest form.

Chandler said tenants should make sure their landlords are aware that payments will be made directly to landlords, not to tenants.

“Highlighting that reasoning might hopefully address some concerns that landlords might have that might hold them back from otherwise applying,” Chandler said.

Does it matter if I’m low income?

Potentially, yes.

The county’s Department of Consumer and Business Affairs says funding priority will go to parts of the county deemed “high” and “highest” need. The department has provided this map with prioritized areas highlighted.

Priority also will be given to small landlords (those who own four units or fewer) and property owners with incomes up to 80% of the area’s median income (for a family of four, that cut-off is $121,150 per year).

If landlord income is not provided on the application, then priority will go to tenants who fall below the 80% of area median income threshold.

What information will I need to provide? 

If you plan to apply, you might want to start gathering your documents now. The checklist of required paperwork is quite long.

You’ll have to provide some proof of identification, such as a driver's license, birth certificate or green card. Proof of income also is required. This can include documents such as federal tax returns, pay stubs or proof of rental income.

Landlords must prove they own their rental property, and homeowners must prove they own their home.

For landlords, a tenant’s lease or some other proof of tenancy is required, as is proof of the amount of rent the tenant owes.

If a unit is empty because of needed post-fire repairs, property owners must provide estimates, bills or other documentation of the cost of the repairs.

If you’re applying because of financial hardship due to federal immigration actions, you’ll be asked to provide proof of deportation or detainment. This can include ICE or immigration court records, a letter from an attorney or self-attestation about the immigration actions if the prior information can’t be provided.

Chandler said this could be a barrier for some applicants.

“Even with the alternate options, I wouldn't be surprised that there would still be a chilling effect,” she said.

Though tenants will not fill out the application themselves, they may be contacted to verify information or provide further documentation.

How much funding can I receive? 

The limit on payouts is six month’s worth of back rent. Generally, the limit will be $15,000 per housing unit.

This money can be used to cover overdue rent or mortgage payments, as well as expenses such as utility bills, property repairs and billing late fees.

How can I get updates on the application process?

Instead of biding your time until the application goes live, you can fill out the interest form. County officials say they will use it to send you a reminder when the portal opens.